Some Assembly Required
by Maks the Mushroom
Summary: San Fransokyo was theirs to protect, that much was certain. But when a Norse God comes to their world with an intent to conquer and rule, Hiro and his team are pulled into something so much greater than they ever imagined. (Takes place post-BH6 and before/during the first Avengers movie)
1. The Man with a Folder

**Hi everyone, I'm back again.**

**Should I be working on Three Seconds Longer? Yes, yes I should. However, I've had this idea stewing in my head for a very, very long time, and I just couldn't help myself. Merry Christmas, everyone!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

O-O

It was Hiro's second day of college.

His first day had gone without a hitch. Most of his teachers understood the reason behind his long absence and happily supplied him with the necessary makeup coursework, which to his joy was-at least, to him-relatively easy. He'd have it all done by the end of the week, tops.

The other students were surprisingly accepting, too. When Hiro walked into his first classroom, he expected the usual whispers and giggles and maybe some cooing from the female students-instead, hardly even anyone batted an eye. A few even recognized him from the Expo and asked him for help with designing their semester projects, which were so much more marvelously complex than anything Hiro had seen before, even in the botfighting rings.

But perhaps best of all, Baymax was still here.

He had found the green data chip clenched in the rocket fist while he was moving into his personal lab. Further rifling around his bedroom later that day recovered Tadashi's old notebooks, containing every blueprint, note, and schematic for the inflatable nursebot.

He could rebuild Baymax. Sure, it would be complicated, but he could do it. He had to.

There was a loud bang as the doors to his lab were unceremoniously thrown open. "Alright, this is the last one," Gogo announced, setting down the box next to the others and dusting off her hands. "Tadashi sure kept a lot of journals, didn't he?"

Hiro let out a wistful sigh. "Yeah," he muttered, drawing his fingers across the top of the box. "I always told him he should've gotten a tablet…"

"Hey." Gogo set a firm hand on his shoulder. "You gonna be alright?"

Hiro blinked up at Gogo, quickly shaking himself out of his reverie. "Y-Yeah, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

Gogo regarded him skeptically for a moment. "Well," she said at last, "just give us a call if you need us."

"I will," Hiro replied. "Thanks, Gogo."

"No problem." A playful smile pulled at the edge of her lips, and she reached over to ruffle his hair. "Now don't stay up too late, knucklehead."

"Agh, hey!" Laughing, Hiro swatted her hand away, trying (and failing) to make his hair lie flat again. "I won't, I won't!"

"Good." Gogo chuckled, popping her gum. "See you later, kid."

Hiro watched her leave with a smile before turning back to the mass of boxes scattered around his lab. While he had unpacked most of his stuff yesterday, today they had brought in all of Tadashi's old supplies to help him rebuild Baymax. Thankfully, all of the nursebot's coding was still intact on the green chip; all Hiro had to do was recreate Baymax's huggable design.

He had just begun poring over some of his brother's earliest design concepts when he heard the door to his lab open again. "Gogo," he said, spinning his chair around, "I told you, I'll be-"

Hiro stopped short. The man in the suit standing in his lab was definitely not Gogo.

"Mr. Hiro Hamada, I presume?"

The man stepped forward, his large forehead almost gleaming under the lab's fluorescent lights. His graying brown hair was slicked precisely back, and a crisp manila folder was tucked beneath his arm. Hiro could only nod his head warily in response.

"I am Agent Phil Coulson, of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division."

"Wow," Hiro remarked before he could stop himself. "That's a mouthful."

"We generally just go by SHIELD," Coulson conceded with a shrug. His expression grew serious again. "You were the leader of the team that stopped the incident at Krei Tech a few days ago, correct?"

Hiro's eyes grew wide. "What - how did you know that?!"

"Facial recognition software," Coulson answered easily. He began to flick casually through the contents of the folder. "That was some impressive work that day. We've never seen anything like it, especially not from someone of your age."

Hiro blinked in confusion, eyes flicking nervously between the man and the folder. "What's your point, sir?" he asked.

Coulson took a breath, carefully setting the folder down on Hiro's desk. "We would like you and your team to join the Avengers Initiative."

O-O

**Sorry it's short; it's a prologue and well, I'm just testing the waters with this fic. We'll see how well this turns out. Hope you enjoyed! Please review if you can!**


	2. Offers

**Look who finally updated!**

**Sorry everyone, but I had a severe case of writer's block. Not fun. But I've finally managed to crank out the next chapter so...yay!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

o-o

Hiro blinked in confusion, slowly processing what Coulson had said. "The...Avengers Initiative?"

Coulson nodded. "It's a project designed to assemble together a group of highly skilled individuals that would respond to any global threats, should they arise," he explained. "With you and your team's technical prowess and fighting capability, you're the perfect candidates."

Carefully, Hiro picked up the folder Coulson had placed on his desk, curiously flipping through its contents. He recognized a few of the people - renowned genius industrialist Tony Stark, for one - but most were complete strangers. The profiles accompany each candidate were insane; sure, the words on the page made complete sense to Hiro, but the sheer statistical improbability of these abilities had to be seen to be believed. Then again, Hiro hadn't been one to follow the general convention of things, either…

"You want us to join...all this?" he asked, looking up at Coulson with wide eyes.

The agent nodded again. "We know it's a lot to ask, considering your age and the fact that you're still in college-"

"No, no!" Hiro interrupted. "It's not that, it's just…"

His eyes glanced over at the piles of notebooks still waiting to be shelved. Baymax still needed to be rebuilt, and without the inflatable robot around, the team just didn't feel...complete. The green data card glinted in its protective case next to his laptop, his brother's name printed neatly across the front.

Before anything, Hiro needed his best friend back.

"Thank you, sir," the young boy said at last, handing Coulson back the folder, "but I'm afraid I'll have to pass on your offer."

Coulson's lips pressed into a thin line. "I figured as much," he replied, tucking the folder back under his arm. "But still, the offer remains, should you change your mind."

With a courteous smile, the agent ducked his head and exited the lab. "Have a nice day, Mr. Hamada."

o-o

"_Once again, our resident mysterious team of heroes saves the day, stopping an armed bank robbery on Ichiba Street…_"

Hiro leaned back in his seat, discreetly watching the cafe's TV screens through the corner of his eye. Four months had passed since the battle at Krei Tech, and well...life had taken an interesting turn, to say the least. No one in the group of friends really expected to ever suit up again after the fight, but when news of a hostage situation in downtown reached their ears one day, not a single one of them hesitated. That one incident became two, which quickly became ten, and soon, the six heroes - it had taken several sleepless weeks, but Baymax had finally rejoined their ranks - were the talk of the city.

No one suspected the five nerds and one giant marshmallow robot sitting at a table in the corner of the Lucky Cat Cafe were the ones behind the renowned team.

"_...according to sources, this marks the fifteenth time the team, dubbed 'Big Hero 6' by the public…_"

"Big Hero 6," Gogo snorted under her breath, shooting the news reporter on screen a brief glare. "Who even came up with that?"

"I dunno, man," Fred barely managed to mumble out through a mouthful of food, "I think it's got a nice ring to it. Like a comic book."

Wasabi shot him a look. "You think everything's like a comic book," he pointed out.

Fred jabbed a finger in Wasabi's direction. "No, I-"

_Beep_.

The group froze in surprise. "Baymax...?"

_Beep_.

"Hiro," the robot intoned, tilting his head slightly. A large red telephone symbol was being projected onto his stomach. "You have an incoming call."

Hiro frowned in confusion and glanced questioningly around at his friends. In unison, all shook their heads. "It's not us, dude," said Wasabi.

"Maybe it's your aunt?" Honey suggested.

Carefully, Hiro leaned over in his seat to see his aunt, who was happily chatting with a customer as she prepared their coffee. No one else had his cell phone number...well, except for Tadashi, but he wasn't exactly in a position to call him...

"Hiro," Baymax said again, this time more urgently, "my protocol is being overridden. It is required that you answer your phone."

Eyes wide, Hiro hurriedly fished his phone out of his pocket and jammed it to his ear. "Hello?"

"On your left, third booth."

Warily, Hiro turned in the direction he had been told, nearly falling out of his seat in shock. Sitting there was the man in the suit, his hair still slicked precisely back and another folder on the table in front of him.

"Is everything alright, Hiro?" Honey asked, leaning over onto the table.

"Y-Yeah," Hiro answered distractedly. "I'll just...I'll be right back."

Quickly, he hung up the phone and hurried across the room, sliding into the booth's unoccupied seat. The man peered at him over the edge of his sunglasses.

"So...Big Hero 6."

"Was it really necessary to hack past my robot's protocols?" Hiro asked irritably, crossing his arms.

Coulson shrugged. "You wouldn't have answered any other way."

Hiro huffed but didn't disagree. "So...what do you want this time?" he finally asked.

With a thin smile, Coulson slid the folder across the table. "You and your team have been making quite a lot of headlines recently," he began, shooting a brief glance over at the TV screen. "Too many, in fact. You've caught the attention of several other organizations outside of SHIELD, some good, others...not so much."

Hiro quickly flicked through the contents of the folder. "Your point is?"

"My offer to join the Avengers Initiative still stands," Coulson said. "Of course, you'd be operating under SHIELD, but we could help keep a few other...interested parties off your trail."

Hiro frowned and glanced over at his friends, who were all furtively trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. "Can I talk to my fri- my team for a moment?"

Coulson leaned back in his seat. "Be my guest."

With a short nod, Hiro grabbed the folder and walked back to the group. "Hiro, are you okay?" Honey asked him worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm-"

"Who was that?" Wasabi cut in.

"Dude," Fred added, "is he some secret sort of spy agent man?"

"Hiro, my sensors detect high levels of-"

"Guys, guys, I'm fine!" Hiro shook his head, rolling his eyes ever so slightly. Sometimes his friends worried way too much. "That man's Mr. Phil Coulson from some SHIELD...agency...thing…"

"Wait, you mean like the government?" Wasabi asked.

Hiro shrugged. "Yeah, he visited me a few months ago and-"

"He's talked to you before?" Gogo interjected. "Why didn't you tell us?!"

"I was busy rebuilding Baymax, okay?!" Hiro replied defensively. He ran a hand through his messy hair, quickly explaining the situation to the group. "So...what do you guys think?" he asked at last.

There was a loud pop as Gogo smacked her gum. "No. Way."

Wasabi nearly spit out his drink. "Wh-What?!" he spluttered frantically, his voice jumping up an octave. "N-No! You can't just say no to the government!"

"How do we know we can even trust the guy?" Gogo continued. "_He knows our secret_. No one should know that."

"It's the government!" Wasabi stressed. "Do you know what the government does when you say no?"

Gogo rolled her eyes. "Oh calm down, you big baby. We'll be fine."

Baymax tilted his head to the side, blinking curiously at Hiro. "Will joining the 'Avengers Initiative' make me a better healthcare companion?" he asked.

"I don't know, buddy," Hiro replied. "Maybe."

"Wait," Fred piped up, eyebrows furrowed together in thought, "did 'SHIELD' stand for anything?"

"Uh, yeah, I think so." Hiro pushed his bangs from his forehead as he tried to remember. "Strategic Homeland...Intervention…"

"Enforcement and Logistics Division," Fred finished easily. "My dad told me about them. According to him, they're a very secretive organization. They don't like telling the truth."

"So you think they're lying about this?" Honey asked.

"Who knows," Fred replied with a shrug. "But I'm with Gogo on this one."

Gogo raised an eyebrow, popping another bubble. "Thanks...I think."

"Excuse me, Mr. Hamada?"

Hiro turned around to see Coulson standing a ways behind him, an oddly apologetic smile on the agent's face. "My director just called. I'm needed back at base immediately." He shot a quick glance at the group assembled around the table. "I assume you've made your decision?"

"Oh, uh...yeah." Fumbling slightly, Hiro handed back the folder for a second time. "Thank you, sir, but we're not interested." Behind him, Wasabi made a tiny squeak of protest, but Gogo shushed him.

Coulson nodded his head, tucking the folder into his jacket. "Very well then."

And with that, he was gone.

o-o

In hindsight, Hiro probably shouldn't have started his final project so late.

To be fair, it wasn't entirely his fault. The team's suits needed some serious upgrades, and by the time he had finished that, he had approximately two weeks left to design and built something amazing for the year's final showcase. Which honestly shouldn't have been that hard...except for the fact that he was suffering from a severe case of designer's block.

"Nothing!" he moaned, slamming his forehead against the lab desk. "No ideas! Stupid, empty brain!"

"I would suggest not hitting your head against that," a voice said. "It damages the brain cells."

Hiro shot up in his seat, scrambling to grab a wrench to defend himself with. He was greeted with the familiar sight of a man in a suit in his lab, folder in hand.

"Oh, not you again," he groaned, letting the wrench clatter to the floor. "I told you last time, we don't want to join your Avengers Initiative. Now would you leave me alone?"

"This isn't about the Avengers Initiative," Coulson said, stepping over the boy's cluttered workbench. "That was actually shut down a while ago." He carefully approached Hiro's desk and held out the folder. "This is an offer specifically for you."

Hiro frowned, cautiously taking the folder and flipping through the contents. "For me?"

Coulson nodded. "It's called Project PEGASUS, a search for alternative energy sources," he explained. "Currently, they're experimenting with an alien artifact called the Tesseract."

Hiro looked up from the files. "You're trying to harness energy from space?" he asked.

Again, Coulson nodded. "We think this might be the key to unlimited sustainable energy, but we've reached a bit of a rut in the calculations. And, as one of the brightest new scientists of the decade, we figured you were the ideal person to help."

"But...I don't know anything about interdimensional physics," Hiro pointed out.

"I'm sure you'll learn quickly." The agent smiled warmly at the young boy, locking tired grey eyes with brown. "If this works, it could help a lot of people."

Cold ice instantly flooded Hiro's stomach. Distantly, he could hear his brother's voice echoing in his mind. "What- What did you say?"

"This could help a lot of people someday," Coulson repeated. "Unlimited sustainable energy. Less pollution, greener cities…" He trailed off, shrugging his shoulders. "So, what do you say?"

Hiro's grip on the folder tightened, and he swallowed back the lump in his throat.

"I'm in."

o-o

**And there you have it folks! I apologize if this isn't exactly quite what you were expecting, but I hope you liked it nonetheless. Next chapter we should be seeing more Marvel characters and maybe a bit more action. (Speaking of next chapters, don't expect another update for another month or two. I'm a terribly slow writer.)**

**Hope you enjoyed! Please review if you can!**


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